I blog gluten-free

Friday, October 14, 2016

Mystic Monk Snickering Monk Candy Bar Review

Today, I celebrated 9 months without any seizures. One of the tricks I like to use, to keep me going, is using a reward for each month, called a squeaky pig, which has consisted of a copy of Winnie the Pooh's adventures in Latin- AKA Winnie Ille Pu (complete with original illustrations, which is lovely for learning verb tenses... "he climbed and he climbed, and he climbed...") Sometimes, it's helpful to ask for help. Sometimes, you need to kick your own butt. And sometimes, you need to give yourself encouragement.


















My treatment plan since January has consisted of medication and the keto diet. This has been tough, because I've always had a sweet tooth. (I have tried a sip of soda here and there-and 7 Up, after a small procedure to correct issues with my jaw- injuries during seizures had left it off kilter, and grinding my teeth had left me a few broken ones. I spent about a week after on soft foods. It is a weird experience-at first, and yet, I find that I'm not as tempted to cheat, because I feel better- and sodas and sugary things can taste ODD when you're not used to them. But, I've been craving a candy bar for a while.Luckily, I came across Mystic Monk Snickering Monk Candy Bar.
I received my bag of coffee beans just yesterday, and had to restrain myself so I could taste test to celebrate being nine months entirely seizure free, (75% of my goal to be one year seizure free... DONE!)
It is not overly sweet, but is absolutely reminiscent of a Snickers bar. It is absolutely marvelous, and I am over the moon and doing my best to save the beans for celebratory reasons. My usual coffee has become Marley Coffee's One Love blend, which is also marvelous. I highly recommend the beautiful blends from Mystic Monk. If you'd like some lovely, smooth coffee with that hint of chocolate, caramel, and peanuts, act now, because it will be gone at the end of the end of October- to be back next year. They've definitely made a returning customer. Warning: Does contain essences of peanuts. Five stars! *****


























Friday, February 12, 2016

What I Did On My Winter Vacation

I'm getting into a party mood.
Not just because today is Darwin's birthday.
(Growth and change, fuck yeah!)

This is here because there's nothing nicer than an affectionate parody of  "ch-ch-ch-changes".
I've also had some RESULTS!
(I'm excited, it's been such a long time.)

Proper diagnosis in hand... check

Started keto as an experiment. Once you get used to it, it's not so weird. Especially during Lent.

I can still have apples and almond butter for breakfast or for a snack. I still treated myself for Mardis Gras.

And? Fewer headaches, seizures not so bad, a month in, and I'm feeling better than I have in a while.



I've been quiet over the last 3 weeks. I needed it. I came down with a nice virus that also brought along hives to the party and was stuck in bed for four days (It would have been more, but I go slightly bonkers somewhere close to the 24 hour mark of illness. I "behaved" as long as I could because I couldn't move very well and I'd promised a few friends that I'd TRY to rest. I'm still experiencing nerve pain, but don't look or feel like I've sat in a beehive anymore. And the fever broke and I can exercise again. Without going into a chorus of my new opera, "Chimpanzee Stepping into a Hot Bath in A Major" (The lyrics are, oooh, ahhh, ahhhh...eeee...) when I step or sit after.

Or shower, in which case, I entertained my neighbor through the shared wall between our bathrooms, with a tortured rendition of a castrati singing Ave Maria. (Followed by "Where is the benandryl? Oh, gods of benadryl, I can't even sit right now, it's 4AM, and why are you doing this to me?")




Rest and quiet seem to have done me well.

Did homework, listened to a lot of Cheech and Chong, read a few hilariously horrible Regency romances (And the Fat Prince married the extremely boobilicious Caroline, and they lived miserably ever after, he with his hair curlers and mind altering drugs, and she with her boobs.)



So, basically, I'm feeling good, mostly,  I'm recovering faster, the macros aren't so difficult anymore. I could even put in a smoothie, but don't want to go out in the snow again today.



I'm working on other things. Like not giving myself the Torturer's Litany, the laundry list of horrible things I've been told. It's not true in the brightness of day, and it's not true in the black of night.



I'm trying to focus on me and not on other peoples' crazy.

There is a lot of it, but I've got my own.



I even put in more research regarding epilepsy awareness.

Advocacy and awareness tend to follow this tired ol' pattern nowadays:

"You have X and I am put down by the patriarchy!"

So, here's my try:

Check your car privilege! Look at you and your wheels and your convenience. What have I got from epilepsy? A need to walk and tighter glutes! Maaaan!



See, it doesn't look any less stupid no matter who does it. Get off and do some actual advocacy rather than putting people down because they're different/ believe/disbelieve in something you don't/ do.
I realize of course, that I've put myself in a trap because I don't like people who do those things and I'm doing it.


All my love. Happy Feast of St. Valentinus (i). !